The Case of the Dangerous Solution

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #127

by Carolyn Keene

When the customers of the River Heights pharmacy take seriously ill after being delivered their medicine, Nancy is convinced that sabotage is involved and searches for the deadly drug.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile, Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.

Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.

Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exciting one!

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really hope pharmacy practices are safer today than they were when this book was written.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, someone actually dies in a Nancy Drew Mystery! Laughable that now George is working at a pharmacy--she and Bess certainly have a lot of odd jobs in their short lives, but of course, it gives Nancy entre into a new mystery.

[Elizabeth Rachow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with Nancy Drew books! I would go to my school library and check out a new ones every week! I loved mystery and trying to figure who did what or what happened. I loved the romantic side of Nancy's life as well. I could have both parts which was a nice mix for me. Nancy Drew was such an enjoyment for me in elementary school.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sort of got lost in this book. I think the older Nancy Drew books were better because they have way more adventure.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I read this book was in spring 2002. I was finishing my fifth grade year and decided not to go on an optional field trip. So that school day, they condensed the students who didn't go into a couple of classrooms and it was basically like a study hall day. I was grouped in with seventh graders (terrifying) and their teacher, Mr. Garner. I remember he talked to me from time to time and told me I was using my time wisely by reading. He was a little creepy in retrospect. But anyway, I always remembered this book because I got to read it that day.
I reread the book today, and I still remembered the culprit all these years later. It didn't matter to me though, since I've been on a Nancy Drew kick lately and really enjoying these.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? One more engaging mystery book! I personally diidn't know who it was at all, until the very last second! I slightly enjoyed this one more then some of the Nancy Drew books I have read. Want to find out who did it? Read it for yourself!

[peter f mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRUGS AND INSTABILITY:: A HEADY SOLUTION

One life could not be saved, but many more were. Its just too bad that when someone's ability to morally reason fails, that a residual capacity for reasoned action can still be there.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Lisa Shower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read

For one of the newer titles in the series, this book was not bad. A bit predictable but did have an element of suspense.

[Dr. Aditi Kapoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old favourite amongst the Nancy Drew series. A good mystery to dig into. A soft, fun read.

[Eric Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good ND book! Suspenseful and intriguing. This one has a death in it, which is very rare for this series. I believe this book was meant for the Files series, which is common for it's murders, but for some reason, this book got transferred to the original series. There is two other books in the original series, #138 The Legend of The Lost Gold and #155 The Mystery in Tornado Alley that have a death in it, but other than that, death in the original series is not common at all. Anyway, the death in this book made the case more urgent and that's what I really liked about the book. It also keeps you guessing and although I was right about the culprit(which was kinda obvious), I was still unsure about the motive. The ending with the culprit was also pretty exciting. Although, there were some things unexplained like why Kevin took a card from George and I didn't really get why Nancy thought Branson-Flagg, one of the drug companies, would be somehow involved and instead should have been investigating one of the other drug companies, Wyandot, since they were the most suspicious. There were also some errors in the book, like on page 79, it says "Eddie's death", but should have been"DeWitt's death"(which was confusing for a second) and on 121, Chief Mcginnis is spelled wrong. The story was also just a little bit slow at times, but overall, this is a pretty good mystery and it deserves 4 stars.

[Melanie]

I may still have this book.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember any of the classic books having an actual murder mystery as the plot. It was odd to find it in this book.


My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.

http://spreadthewordnevada.org/

Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.

I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.

[Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decided to read a more current book after recently going through a number of classic Nancy Drews. Writing quality is about the same, just updated, but if this book is any indication of the other more recent Nancy Drews, then it definitely seems to lean more toward actual mysteries and sleuthing, whereas the classics felt more like adventure stories (and honestly, Nancy herself wasn't that great of a detective, seeming to pay less attention to little details and more often having clues fall into her lap through various deus ex machina. The same applies to the more current books, but again, at least in this book, Nancy seems to be doing more of the actual sleuthing herself.)

As an aside, I find it somewhat amusing that regardless of time period, these books always seem to mention Nancy, Bess, and George eating food. Even on the trail of clues, they'll make sure to stop and pick up lunch. I guess as a female role model, it's good to show that Nancy eats properly, even when busy.

[Kavya Agrawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was indeed a wonderful book. Till the end it seemed that the criminal was someone else, whereas it turned out to be the person who was the least suspected.

[Eliza Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay... it fit for the tyoe of book I felt like reading right now but I still don't like 90's Nancy Drew nearly as mich as the Nancy Drew of the older books. I don't think the newer Nancy Drew is as good a role model as the older one. I'm not sure how someone would 'crinkle their blue eyes' as this book says over and over again... This specific book is really exciting and unpredictable.

[Miri · Rating 5 out of 5]

George has been working at the local pharmacy, but when customer's order are discovered to have been tampered with, leading to at least one death, Nancy jumps on the case to clear George's name and prevent another death from a mad poisoner!

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 2005.

[Prami{reader and dreamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember much but I know I liked it.

[Winifred · Rating 3 out of 5]

nancy Drew investigates the going ons in a pharmacy. one customer who has had their prescription delivered has died and two others have become very ill.

[Stephanie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. It's a light mystery that's a fun and easy read. The characters are all so loveable and charming and as for the "who did it" of the mystery, I never saw it coming.

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, Nancy Drew COULD and WOULD solve the Chicago Tylenol Poisonings.